Jake behavior

[g8rvet]

I hunt a small tract of private land. It has an excellent roosting area that runs through it and a field that the hens check most every morning on their way through. It is rare I do not see hens.  I started hunting it by getting in the bottoms and I quickly learned I was bumping silent birds too much, if they fly across the creek, they are off the property.  So now I hunt them from a blind on the field, quite successfully.  I usually kill 2 every year, sometimes just one on the property. I also hunt public too to give the place a rest when nothing is gobbling. 

So yesterday, I have some hens feed by, I called to the early morning pair and they came in to the dekes and put on a little show, calling more than I ever do. Heard no gobbles in the AM.  I figured if Tom was around, I could not beat their calling.  The last three longbeards I killed there have come in silent.  No joy.  About an hour later, the wind had really kicked up and I cut and yelped a little louder (was only calling every 20 minutes or so).  A gobble sounds off to my right, close.  I see the strutter coming in to the dekes.  The wind is blowing so hard, he can't keep his fan up.   I am getting prepared for the shot and out of the corner of my eye see three more birds in tow.  He gobbles and the three birds behind him cut loose as well.  Awesome show.  Once he is in the dekes, I cut my eyes to the followers (thinking to pick out the best bird) and notice they are all jakes.  So I check out the strutter again, showing off for the dekes.  He goes out of strut and he is a jake too!  He is gobbling and his three buddies are gobbling to his gobbles.  Awesome show.

Now, my question.  Does this mean anything about the presence of a longbeard on the property?  They were pretty unconcerned about each other, one was clearly dominant, but they gobbled so many times, they called those two hens back.  Just seems odd to me that these jakes were so aggressive, as I have never seen a jake this dominant appearing. His head was bright blue and red and the other birds knew he was top dog.  Any chance he is the dominant bird because there are no longbeards around or I just caught them on a day they were feeling their oats and Mr. Tom had not whooped their tail recently?   just curious about the behavior.  They were all 4-5" beards and no spurs (I got a real good look at 20 yards with binoculars too for fun).  I reckon it was a good breeding season last year anywyas.

[busta biggun]

the only thing this means is that they feel comfortable showing breeding behavior right now. Could be that they hang around together and whoop up on any longbeards as a team and dominate them. Or they may not have been spotted yet by the boss. Either way, I would hunt that area knowing there are likely mature birds there somewhere, you just need to be there when the jakes aren't running the show.

[Will]

Just my two cents but a few seasons ago I hunt the last day working a mature longbeard up until the final hour. He and a hen come in and I miss....not one minute after three jakes come into my same set up gobbling. I would say I wouldn't worry about the absence of longbeards on your property they were probably hened up. I think those older boss hog gobblers tend to be on the more quieter side just from my experience and I hunt private with little or no pressure.

[stinkpickle]

You probably have some longbeards around, but they won't mess with those jakes.  I've hunted a couple of places where the jakes ruled the land, and the longbeards always came in silent. 

[turkey_slayer]

You probably have some longbeards around, but they won't mess with those jakes.  I've hunted a couple of places where the jakes ruled the land, and the longbeards always came in silent.

Yep I've had Jake's come in and whoop longbeards right in front of me. Jake's are sissys by their selves but get a few together and they can be bullies

[Spring_Woods]

The jake birds have strength in numbers!

[DirtNap647]

ive witnessed a wad of jakes run a long beard off many times

[Gooserbat]

Yep but those troubled jakes usually turn into those two year-olds that go along way towards helping a man's self-esteem.

[tomstopper]

You probably have some longbeards around, but they won't mess with those jakes.  I've hunted a couple of places where the jakes ruled the land, and the longbeards always came in silent.

Yep I've had Jake's come in and whoop longbeards right in front of me. Jake's are sissys by their selves but get a few together and they can be bullies

^^^This......

[jblackburn]

The jake birds have strength in numbers!

Yep, had 6 jakes run off a stud of  long beard a couple years ago.